Have you ever been cooking and realized that you don't have all the ingredients you need. 

Sometimes, you will need to run to the store and purchase the missing item. 

Other times,  you can substitute that missing ingredient.

We love to cook in our house and with a big family, missing an ingredient is a common occurrence. We have learned to improvise.  

​Here are some common ingredient substitutions. 

God plants new believers in local churches to grow and to build one another up. God didn't call us to be "Lone Ranger Christians" off doing our own thing. His People are called to love one another in a committed way as they win the lost and make disciples.

Jesus gives us gifts to build us up 

None of us have all the spiritual gifts and God planned it that way so that we would need one another. As we serve and encourage one another with God’s Word, everyone will grow.

God made the church like a family. When we love one another, the world will know that we are His disciples. Our love is so important for the Gospel to have credibility. 

I found this sweet essay my daughter Jenny Rose wrote after my mother passed away. In it is a message that you will appreciate and enjoy.
 
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How wonderful that the human race is made up of people of all ages and in different stages of life. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of time spent with people of different generations. Memories and growth come from a parent with their baby, a child with their elderly neighbor, or even a teenager with a mom that has six children! What every relationship has in common is learning from each other’s lives and experiencing the amazing differences and similarities. The beauty comes from bridges that are gapped between the ages and love flowing from acceptance and admiration. The time spent together doesn’t have to have a limit. It could be a minute, an hour, or a whole day. In my case, it was a week. 

“Appealing!” I thought, glancing at 41: A Portrait Of My Father by President George W. Bush. Only twice in history has a son followed his father to the Presidency. John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams both served one term in the White House early in our nation’s history. The twentieth century saw President George Herbert Walker Bush elected in 1988 and his son George W. Bush elected in 2000. The elder President Bush served one term and his son served two terms.
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When the elder President Bush was in the White House, including his time as President Reagan’s second-in-command, I had so much affection for him. Finally, I figured out that he reminded me of my grandfather. My own grandfather Harry Leon King was kind and loving, without ever drawing attention to his good deeds. He quietly lived his faith and made lifelong friends wherever he went. Their home was full of people who came to visit from all over the world. Like President Bush, he was a faithful attendee at the local Episcopal Church. What I admired about both men was their integrity and loyalty. Both men placed high value on relationships. So I was eager to read this book about the self-effacing politician who reminded me of my grandfather. 

Traditional holiday treats, family stories, and a sense of expectation in every heart...holidays bring joy to life!

These set-apart days provide refreshment, strengthen family relationships, instill godly values in our children, and allow us to celebrate the goodness of God!

Some holidays are truly holy days, set apart by Christians to celebrate God's grace. These holidays teach us about the Lord and His Ways. It's a fun way to learn more about our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

​However, we can proactively use every holiday to instill godly values in our children. We must be purposeful in how we celebrate holidays so that we make time to participate in activities that train our children. 

​It's easier than you think!

​Momma baking special treats, laughter in the air, and a sense of expectation in every heart...holidays bring joy to life!

More than national celebrations, these special days can provide refreshment, strengthen family relationships, instill godly values in our children, and be celebrations of the goodness of God!

​Some holidays are truly holy days, set apart by Christians to celebrate God's grace. We can make every holiday holy, setting it apart and celebrating in a way that honors Christ.

​In addition to inviting Jesus to be part of our celebration, holidays can strengthen family relationships and foster a sense of identity as a family. 

​Simple traditions such as opening stockings on Christmas Eve, acting out the Holy Week story on Good Friday, or giving one another homemade Valentines on St. Valentine's Day sets a pattern that is unique to your own family. Children love to look forward to traditions year after year. 

I like freedom. I want freedom to enjoy life, to be spontaneous. 

​I like to be productive. I like to create, to learn, to teach. 

​How can I ever bring these two things together because you see I discovered the hard way that without scheduling things, they just don't happen. 

​Oh, dear. What's a mother to do?

​I tried creating an hour-by-hour schedule, but that was a disaster. I was so angry at my schedule. It made me feel like I was in jail.  

​I had to find a way to schedule that wouldn't make me feel boxed in or locked up. 

​That's when I discovered block scheduling. 

We learned a secret about teaching geography and history.

Geography and history can taste good!

My children love to cook and bake their way through time and around the world. 

​We discovered that Thomas Jefferson was a foodie and he loved French food. Martha and George Washington were known for their delightful hospitality, as well as their delicious food. What fun to dig up old recipes and modernize them so we could enjoy them, too. You can enjoy some of our American history recipes in American History Cookbook​. 

​When we studied geography in homeschool co-op, our family chose a country to research each month. Part of our research was food.

​We discovered what foods are popular. This was quite a surprise. We found out that guinea pig was popular in South America (yuck!) and Kangaroo in Australia (what about ​Katie No-Pocket​?). But, beyond that we discovered some amazing dishes. 

Antioxidants are the solution. 

​The solution to what? 

​Well, our bodies are aging. Many of the food we eat are processed. We encounter pollution everywhere. All these things work together to cause things to go wrong inside. Renegade cells called free radicals can cause oxidative stress, or damage, to our body's cells, tissues, and organs. 

​Antioxidants counteract oxidative stress just like their name implies. These molecules are the "good guys." Just think of a gun fighter in white destroying the "bad guys" roaming throughout your body. 

​Antioxidants include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Lycopene, Alpha-Carotene, and Beta-Carotene. Antioxidants can prevent cancer, macular degeneration, cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic infections. 

​It is better to get your antioxidants through fruits and vegetables than in supplements. So what fruits and vegetables should you eat?

​Successful homemakers have acquired wisdom that comes from years of on-the-job training.

Loving your husband, raising children, and managing a home is not a job for the faint-hearted.

There are things you can do to make your home a joyful, efficient, peaceful place. 

​Here are some secrets to help you experience joy and success in your homemaking adventure. 

​Set up patterns and habits in your home to instill security and create a restful environment. Daily, weekly, and yearly routines allow family members to fall into peaceful patterns of living.

Annual customs such as holidays, birthdays, vacations, and seasonal activities come along each year, giving everyone in the family things to look forward to.

Weekly habits such as attending church on Sunday mornings, taking part in Bible study on Wednesdays, enjoying family night on Friday, doing laundry on Thursdays, and cleaning together on Saturday morning gives the household a rhythm to each week that is predictable.
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Daily routines such as mealtimes, schooling hours, chore time, and daily devotions repeated over and over again produce a sense of order and peace in any home. Nighttime and morning routines are especially important. Our children were raised to do their “five things” when they woke up: brush teeth, get dressed, make bed, have a Quiet Time, and clean room. Each evening, Mike read a bedtime story to the children and prayed over them before tucking them in at night.